By Glenda Winders
What we requested from the concierge at our Indianapolis hotel was a walking map of downtown, which he cordially provided. We didn't realize until later that on the back was a list of 160 original, non-chain restaurants in the area to check out when we got hungry. Where to begin?
We had arrived in the city midmorning with the goal of visiting the Central Canal and White River Park, so lunchtime found us strolling along the canal and right past Burgerhaus. The restaurant is tucked inside a block of high-end condos and offers both indoor and outdoor seating right on the canal with a view reminiscent of Venice. Even its board of fare was something akin to a European gastropub that specializes in every imaginable kind of burger and craft beers with lots of choices for anyone not interested in red meat.
Every item on the menu has an international name that lends a spirit of adventure to meal choices, such as French Riviera Grilled Cheese, Bristol Fish and Chips, Galapagos Fish Tacos and Taipei Chicken Lettuce Wraps. There are also salads called the Barcelona, the Santorini, the Shanghai and the Bora Bora, as well as a lettuce wedge aptly named the Greenland. Nothing came exactly as we expected, and that was a good thing. From the sweet potato fries to the Garlic Parmesan Truffle Oil, every plate held a surprise for our palates.
For dinner we chose Harry and Izzy's because it's an Indianapolis institution that dates back to the more formal 1950s, when Harry Roth asked his old friend Izzy Rosen to join his family's business, St. Elmo Steakhouse. Today its companion restaurant, Harry and Izzy's, is right next door, and both establishments serve the spicy St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail they have made famous.
The menu consists mostly of Black Angus aged beef steaks, and our filets were some of the best we'd ever eaten. The addition of Horseradish Gorgonzola Butter added even more flavor. We both chose green beans for our side dish — crisp, colorful and herbed. I pronounced them the best part of the meal.
Our clever server encouraged us to try their Signature Brownie and to substitute salted caramel ice cream for the typical vanilla. The dessert was huge and decadent, but at least we had the foresight to order one and share it.
Cafe Patachou's brunch the next day was also full of surprises. Everything on the menu came with a twist. For example, my choice of French toast was made with a croissant, the hash was made with duck confit and a Cuban breakfast featured a spinach-jalapeno sauce that made it zing.
The restaurant is the brainchild of Martha Hoover, who moved to Indianapolis from New York and found there were no restaurants where she could find nutritious food for her children. Without any restaurant background, she set out with the simple goal of preparing wholesome food from local ingredients. After tasting her creations, we were not surprised to learn that the restaurant has been honored twice by the James Beard Foundation and written up in Bon Appetit magazine.
A sign on the wall says this is a student union for adults. Mornings the restaurant bustles with busy people headed to work, and groups at some of the larger tables were already having meetings. Martha's good food and all that energy were the best possible send-off for our day of exploring.
At lunchtime we were still too full for a meal, but we couldn't resist ducking into an establishment with a name like Goose the Market. It bills itself as a "full-service butcher shop and specialty food and wine market," but that doesn't begin to describe this lively, colorful, friendly place.
It's small, but its cases are filled with beautifully cut meats, and hams and sausages hang artfully from the ceiling. Freshly caught fish is also available. Shelves and counters are filled with displays of everything from produce to condiments, and they'll make you a sandwich to have with a glass of beer there or sell you the makings with a bottle of wine to take home.
I would love to have sampled something from their deli or had a cup of their BLT or beer-cheese soup, but I settled instead for some chocolate gelato while my husband had an oatmeal cookie and a root beer.
Since we didn't have a proper lunch, we were ready for dinner, and Tastings turned out to be one of the most entertaining and delicious of our dining experiences. The concept at this sleek, sophisticated eatery is tasting wine and pairing it with small-plate munchies.
The more than 200 wines are arranged in categories and dispensed through tubes that penetrate the corks so that little oxygen gets to the wine. Servers give patrons who want to sample several wines — or just choose one to buy for the evening — a "tasting card," which they insert into the slot by the bottle in which they are interested and select either a taste or a glass.
We paired our selection of a crisp white wine with a thin-crust margherita pizza and a cheese plate that included thick slices of pepper-encrusted salami. The light choices were perfect since we were headed just down the block to spend the rest of the evening at the Indiana Repertory Theater. Tastings stays open late to accommodate the apras theater crowd, too.
On our last morning in Indy we stopped at Milktooth, which has been called by some publications one of the best restaurants in the world. It was brought to life by Chef Jonathan Brooks and his wife, Ashley, who wanted to use local ingredients in breakfast and lunch menus that would be evocative of childhood but without any restraint on what should be eaten and when.
That's how they arrived at such dishes as jerk chicken with rice and beans, smoked turkey and roasted sweet potato taco salad, and ancient grains porridge with coconut milk, plum jam, hemp seed and pistachio. Lamb, miso soup and chicken livers with grilled cornbread are other possibilities — and this is for breakfast or lunch.
Housed in an old filling station, the restaurant is cheerful and bright, again with an energy that hums. Single and communal tables are available as well as seats at the bar that have a close-up view of the open kitchen. In warm weather it's also possible to sit outside. Every table has a coffee can filled with silverware so that customers can use whatever they need and leave the rest.
Because of its popularity, Milktooth doesn't take reservations, but the ingenuity of its menu and its positive vibe are well worth the wait. Ultimately I enjoyed a sourdough croissant with a big cup of tea while my husband had a fruit-covered waffle with roasted acorn squash butter and pomegranate maple syrup, and then it was time to hit the road for home.
WHEN YOU GO
For more information: www.visitindy.com
Burgerhaus: www.visitburgerhaus.com
Harry and Izzy's: www.harryandizzys.com
Cafe Patachou: www.cafepatachou.com
Goose the Market: www.goosethemarket.com
Tastings: www.tastingsbar.com
Milktooth: www.milktoothindy.com
Glenda Winders is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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